Our Summer 2017 Bulletin is out … highlighting the Edinburgh Council election result which should guarantee the city’s UK-unique cycle budget policy … our traffic counts showing a 10-year car decline & bike growth in the city centre peak period … Spokes is 40 this autumn!! … and, of course, there’s much more … read on!! … Continue reading Spokes Bulletin 128 … Edinburgh 10% cycle budget safe
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The motion calling for government action on the reductions in promised bike space on the new HST trains to Aberdeen and Inverness has been signed by MSPs from 4 of the 5 parties in Parliament. As a result, it is to be debated in the Main Chamber on Weds 24 May… Continue reading Highlands & N.E. bike-rail cuts: Parliament debate, May 24 Our May traffic count, averaged over our 4 regular count points, found bikes forming 19.1% of all vehicles – the highest ever percentage. Bikes comprised more than 1 in 4 of citybound vehicles (26.6%) and exactly 1 in 10 southbound. The total number of bikes rose by 7.2% compared to May 2016. It is now widely accepted that quality bike infrastructure is a vital route to substantially more bike use and to further danger reduction, but most roads will still not have protected bike lanes in the near future – so how can danger be reduced in the existing road system? Continue reading Public meeting: Tackling Road Danger Spokes has written to Transport Minister Humza Yousaf MSP asking for a pedestrian/cycle overbridge at Sheriffhall. Of the three roundabout options that were under consideration, the government’s recently announced ‘preferred option’ is the worst choice as far as safe and attractive cycling is concerned. Continue reading Sheriffhall – ScotGov plans worst for cycling With the main party manifestos for Edinburgh’s May 4th Council elections now published, Spokes has assessed their support for cycling as an everyday form of transport… Continue reading Council election manifestos analysis  ScotRail presentation at Scottish Parliament in 2015 Our revelation that new and supposedly bike-friendly HST trains from Edinburgh & Glasgow to Inverness & Aberdeen will in fact cut available bike spaces from 4 to 2 at all intermediate stations has brought public anger and disappointment – and now a Scottish Parliament motion which highlights the need for action by the Scottish Government, its agency Transport Scotland and ScotRail. Continue reading Highlands & N.E. bike-rail cuts: MSPs call for action Our April 6 Hustings gave the 70 or so people who came along a great chance to interact with politicians from the 5 main parties standing for Edinburgh City Council … Continue reading Spokes 2017 Council Hustings – report Getting bikes from the central belt to Inverness and Aberdeen has always been a problem, both for individual commuters and holidaymakers, and for the tourist industry. Transport Scotland and ScotRail/Abellio had promised big improvements in 2018/19, with the introduction of refurbished 4-coach and 5-coach InterCity 125 High Speed Trains (HSTs). But the bike space promise has gradually been whittled down – and now we discover that for many journeys there will be fewer spaces even than at present. Meanwhile some redundant toilets will be locked away, just transporting air! Continue reading Save the Highland Bike-Rail dream! |
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